1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing an article including a press-dried plant, and the article produced thereby. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for producing such an article comprising rapidly drying a picked plant such as a flower and adhering the dried plant on a surface of a card, a sheet, general household ware, furniture or the like while maintaining a shape, color or profile similar to those of the living plant, whereby the dried plant can be stored without discoloration for a long period of time.
An article including a press-dried plant (referred to as "press-dried plant article" hereinafter) can be widely applied in the design of, for example, a label, card, bookmark, postcard, cover of a postal folder, furniture, tableware, clothes, interior decoration, or the like, by adhering the article including the press-dried plant thereon. The press-dried plant article according to the present invention may be a new kind of article per se, or be an article having an additional value with respect to design and inherent function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional method for producing a press-dried plant generally comprises placing a plant between sheets of paper or fabric, and pressing same. A dehydrating agent such as silica gel may be disposed under the sheet of paper or fabric.
Next, the thus dried plant is quickly placed on the surface of a card or sheet, so that discoloration of the plant does not occur, and thereafter, a self-adhesive tape is applied to adhere the plant to the card and thus form a product.
In addition, a table cover or a framed decoration can be produced by placing the dried plant on a cushion sheet and covering it with a rigid plastic sheet or glass plate thereon to fix the dried plant therebetween.
In the conventional methods wherein only paper or fabric is used, or silica gel is disposed under the paper or fabric, the dehydration efficiency is relatively low, or the dehydration is time-consuming because of the plant is not close enough to the silica gel. Therefore, discoloration often occurs during the fabrication process, or while the press-dried plant is in the product, in a relatively short period of time.
Further, in the fabrication step of the conventional method, the dried plant must be promptly placed on the article to be decorated and covered with the self-adhesive tape, and the time from the end of the drying step to the adhering step must be short. Even if the plant is dried with a desiccating agent, decoloration proceeds due to oxygen in the air when the dried plant is stored for several months. Therefore, a flower picked at the optimum flowering time must be processed into the product within a few days after drying.
In general, although many plants are collected in the spring when a large variety of plants are in bloom, few are collected in the winter, and thus the amount of products varies considerably according to the season. It is difficult to process all of the plants collected in the spring, and thus the ratio of plants picked to products produced is relatively low.
Further, if the dried plant is fixed on the surface of the sheet, card or the like by covering with a self-adhesive tape, air remains around the plant between the surface of the sheet and the tape, and thus the shape or pattern of the plant is distorted, and the reflection or refraction of light imparts an unnatural look to and detracts from the beauty of the plant. In addition, a problem arises in that the remaining air causes decoloration of the dried plant. In a table cover or framed decoration produced by placing the dried plant on a cushioning sheet and covering it with rigid plastic or glass plate, a solid (three-dimensional) look due to the delicate irregularity of the plant is spoiled and the aesthetic value thereof is low, and thus such applications are limited.